By Harith A.R.
Edited by Nur Najia Nazri
The Ultraman franchise has had a huge impact on the childhoods of many children. Not just in Japan, its motherland, but also in many countries like China, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Malaysia. However, many people perceive the franchise as childish and disregard the series, even if the plot of the stories in each Ultraman series like Tiga, Max and Mebius is very intricate and well-written. Then we come to Netflix’s Ultraman, a much more mature and darker approach to the original story of Ultraman itself. The series managed to become Netflix Japan’s most-watched anime series in 2019 and was nominated in several categories for Best Direction, and Best CGI awards. The series managed to win the grand prize of the 8th VFX-Japan Award in 2020.
At first glance, the whole story feels like a fusion of Ultraman and Ironman, which is understandable given the obvious design inspirations. The Netflix series was adapted from a manga known as Ultraman written by Eiichi Shimizu and illustrated by Tomohiro Shimoguchi, explaining the aftermath of events after the ending of the original Ultraman (1966) series. The manga took a very dark approach to the universe of Ultraman itself, explaining the consequences of being a hero; being held responsible for the city’s destruction and being questioned for their morality and ethics in killing the kaiju (monster) and seijin (alien). The series explores multiple elements that are seen in the original live-action series and further develops upon the theme and its elements, such as the war between mankind, monsters, and aliens, as well as the military conspiracies and political issues within the government and multiple defence organisations.
PLOT
The plot heavily focuses on the aftermath of the original live-action series, which ended in 1966. This time, the Earth was met with other threats focusing on the small but full-scale invasion from the aliens outside and inside the planet. There are lots of returning monsters from the original series, such as Alien Dada, Alien Baltan, and King Joe. However, there is an overhaul in terms of design and lore. As the power of the giant of light has dissipated, the original human host for the first generation, Ultraman, loses his power to transform into the gigantic titan, which forces human beings to replicate the power with the invention of Ultra Suits. Through the surging power generated from the suit, Hayata Shinjiro becomes the next generation Ultraman and battles against monsters, aliens, and even humans.
Shinjiro and his father, who was a host to the original titan-sized Ultraman.
Image courtesy of Tsuburaya
ANIMATION
This series utilises the style of 3DCG with the artistic style that replicates a 2D animation, similar to the animation style that is seen in Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse with the low count of frame-per-second (FPS). Some movements felt very smooth, while some of it could feel a bit jittery to give it a more artistic and distinctive look. Overall, it is a unique experience you do not find in most anime, and it brings out a more immersive experience, especially during action scenes, which can feel more fluid in terms of the characters’ fast movements.
CHARACTERS
The characters are very unique, equipped with different quirks and traits. From the typical anime main character to the sinister villains, the story has it all to quench your thirst for a diverse set of characters that cannot be found in the original Ultraman series. Additionally, the main cast’s character development between each season is very noticeable. From a naive boy to a mature man, Shinjiro the main protagonist, was able to show his prowess, and embarked on an emotional journey of self-discovery and resilience, along with other characters like his mentor, Dan Moroboshi and his junior, Hokuto, who also developed along the way as the story progressed.
The main characters of the series, equipped with their Ultra suits.
Image courtesy of Netflix
SOUNDTRACK
One of the best aspects of the show is the definitive and iconic music by Nobuko Toda and Kazuma Jinnouchi, which is accompanied by catchy theme songs by NOILION, MIYAVI, Void_Chords, and OLDCODEX. Each action scene, drama and suspense can get you engaged in your seat and glued to your screen!
VERDICT
Overall, the series managed to intrigue me enough to pick up the story. As it finally reached its finale and conclusion, I felt huge satisfaction with the story's overall quality, from the amazing roster of characters, paying homage to the original series, beautiful music and soundtrack, and spectacular and never-ending plot twists from the beginning until the end. I believe this series can give more space to fans who are only familiar with the original series like Ultraman Taro and Ultraman Tiga when it comes to trying this out, and I can guarantee that you will be immersed in it.
Additionally, if you find yourself enjoying this show, there is an upcoming Ultraman animated movie which will also be available on Netflix around the middle of June this year. The story is set in a very distant universe with a new set of characters and cast, titled “Ultraman: Rising.” Be sure to check it out if you are interested.
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